1. Field of the Invention
The current practice of tree balling is considerably strenuous and requires demanding labor. The present invention relates to a series of mechanisms forming a method hereby making the practice of preserving and transplanting any variety of plants more efficient and automated while eliminating most if not all of the most labor intensive work. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved wire basket for receiving and protecting the root system and earth ball of a plant, an integrated balling station for securing the wire basket around its contents, and an improved tensioning apparatus for additionally tightening the wire basket around the earth ball.
2. Background Art
Many methods and utilities exist for aiding the transplantation of a plant although a considerable lack of efficiency and automation remains. Burlap, a very simple and biodegradable wrapping, was an early choice for preserving the root system of a plant although it alone proved incompetent as its soft structure allowed for damaging cracks in the earth ball. A movement towards wire baskets lined with burlap is ever present today. Wire baskets on the market for protecting and keeping a plant's root system and earth ball intact during relocation are overly complex, insufficient, and impractical. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,062,148 and 4,403,447 for example, require a time costly bottom to be tied on by hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,353 lacks structural rigidity and can cause cracks in the root ball compromising the plant's future, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,590 has a complicated wire mesh and the need for rope to be thread by hand in order to secure the top of the basket.
Many overly complex wire baskets have trouble not only with cost effectiveness, but also the ability to take on the shape of the tree ball. This deficiency promotes cracked propagation and root damage within the wrapped earth ball. Still other existing wire baskets require that harnessing be done by hand or ratcheting on a T-bar mechanism. Securing the tops and tensioning the sides of these baskets require an extraordinary amount of manual labor and a large crew to spread the load.
Other attempts have been directed at machines digging the root ball and transporting the plant in itself. Considering U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,695 to Clegg, while this type of machine is reasonable for moving a small number of trees over a small distance, this proves rather cumbersome for larger operations such as a commercial nursery attempting to move numerous plants miles away.
A number of tree wrapping stations and assemblies exist although most remain technologically deprived and promote time consuming physical labor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,423 to DeLong is an example of a stationary holding device in which an earth ball has to be manually wrapped, secured, and prepared for shipment.
Accordingly, there is an inherent need to overcome the deficiencies in various tree balling equipment and processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual labor.